Chelsea star Cole Palmer made a surprise revelation while explaining his decision to switch to the No.10 shirt.
Following their opening win against Los Angeles FC, Chelsea continue their Club World Cup campaign on Friday night against Flamengo.
The Premier League club take on the Brazilian giants, whose side includes former Chelsea and Arsenal star Jorginho, in Philadelphia at 7pm UK time.
Ahead of the tournament, it was announced that Palmer would be switching his shirt number from 20 to 10, befitting of his status as arguably the team’s best player.
The No.10 shirt had been worn by Mykhailo Mudryk since January 2023, with the Ukraine international not given a replacement number amid his suspension for failing a doping test last year.
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Since the announcement, Mudryk has been charged by the Football Association and could be banned from football for up to four years, with Enzo Maresca seemingly in the dark about his future at Stamford Bridge.
The 24-year-old, nicknamed ‘Misha’ by his teammates, has denied knowingly taking any banned substances, explaining in a statement last November he was in ‘complete shock’ having ‘not done anything wrong’.
It is usually customary for players to seek permission from each other if they wish to take their squad number, but Palmer has revealed that he has not been in contact with his exiled teammate.
‘I have not spoken to Misha yet, but I will when the time is right,’ the England international told reporters ahead of the Flamengo clash.
‘It is not really my place to get involved with him at the minute. I will speak to him.
FA statement on Mykhailo Mudryk
On Wednesday, June 18, a Football Associaton spokesman said:
‘We can confirm that Mykhailo Mudryk has been charged with Anti-Doping Rule Violations alleging the presence and/or use of a prohibited substance, in terms of Regulations 3 and 4 of The FA’s Anti-Doping Regulations.
‘As this is an ongoing case, we are not in a position to comment further at this time.’
‘I wore No.10 all my life growing up and I just like the number.
‘Lionel Messi the big one, Wayne Rooney and players like that – it’s an iconic number.’
Palmer will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of successful Chelsea No.10s like Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Joe Cole.
Maresca also confirmed that he had no say in the matter, adding: ‘Was I involved in this decision? No, no, I don’t care about the numbers.
‘It’s a player matter. Is Cole good enough to wear the No10? Yes.’
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